Loughgall Martyrs 20th Anniversay Commemorative website

Óglach Gerard O'Callaghan

8^th January 1959 - 8^th May 1987

Gerard O'Callaghan was the baby in a house of 11 children and grew up in the loyalist area of Benburb. At his funeral in the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Tullysaron, mourners heard the local priest Fr. Campbell explain how, "nationalists have been the victims of gross injustice in the partitioned North." Gerard had joined the I.R.A. when he was 17 in an effort to change this.

He was a quiet lad and at times enjoyed his own company more than that of the crowd. He wasn't one to express his opinions openly but he held a determination that the root of all wrongdoing in Ireland lay with the British presence. The comrades who knew him spoke of his unshakeable courage and quiet determination.

In 1980, he was captured, with Vol. Pádraig McKearney and sentenced to six years for possession of weapons. They were held in C-Wing in the Crumlin Road Jail, during which time they both went on the no-wash protest. On his release he reported back to his unit and resumed activities along the border. On active service, he was sharp, calm and utterly reliable, holding the complete trust of his comrades. Gerard is remembered for always making sure that the operation was carried out to its full as a conscientious individual.

Gerard O'Callaghan died on Active Service at Loughgall on Friday 8^th May 1987. His coffin, draped with the National Flag and flanked by a military guard of honour was led by a lone piper from his home in Tullymore, Benburb on the afternoon of Tuesday 12^th. He is fondly remembered by all who knew him.